School holiday trout stocking
Ahead of the school holidays, 'ready-to-catch' rainbow trout are stocked into lakes around Melbourne and regional centres.
The rainbow trout stocked are advanced yearlings and are suitable to be caught immediately. Rainbow trout are a good option for children or those trying fishing for the first time, because they are relatively easy to catch and take a variety of baits and lures.
This stocking program aims to encourage families to go fishing, particularly during school holidays.
Anglers are reminded that a daily bag limit of five trout applies, of which only two can exceed 35 centimetres.
Fish stocking is funded by recreational fishing licence fees and the State Government's $35 million plan to get more people fishing, more often.
School holiday family fishing waters
| Water | 1st Term Holidays (April) | 2nd Term Holidays (June/July) | 3rd Term Holidays (Sept) | Gone Fishing Day (14 Oct) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stocked | Stocked | Predicted | Predicted | |
| Albert Park Lake | 0 | 1500 | 1500 | 0 |
| Alexandra Lake (Ararat) | 0 | 300 | 300 | 0 |
| Allans Flat Dredge Hole | 0 | 750 | 750 | 500 |
| Anderson Lake (Chiltern) | 0 | 500 | 500 | 0 |
| Arboretum Dam (Euroa) | 0 | 300 | 300 | 0 |
| Bannockburn Lagoon (Bannockburn) | 0 | 300 | 300 | 0 |
| Bartlett Lake (Tatura) | 0 | 150 | 150 | 0 |
| Berwick Springs Estate Lake | 0 | 750 | 750 | 0 |
| Calembeen Lake (Creswick) | 0 | 250 | 200 | 0 |
| Casey Fields Lake (Cranbourne) | 0 | 750 | 750 | 750 |
| Cato Lake (Stawell) | 0 | 300 | 300 | 0 |
| Caulfield Racecourse Lake | 0 | 300 | 300 | 0 |
| Cobden Lake (Cobden) | 0 | 450 | 300 | 0 |
| Coleraine Lagoon (Coleraine) | 0 | 300 | 300 | 0 |
| Crusoe Reservoir (Bendigo) | 0 | 450 | 450 | 0 |
| Don Lake (Healesville) | 0 | 400 | 400 | 0 |
| Dunkeld Arboretum (Dunkeld) | 0 | 200 | 200 | 0 |
| Eildon Pondage Weir (Eildon) | Will receive a total of 14,000 ready-to-catch trout over the year | 1000 (Will receive a total of 14,000 ready-to-catch trout over the year) | Will receive a total of 14,000 ready-to-catch trout over the year | Will receive a total of 14,000 ready-to-catch trout over the year |
| Emerald Lake | 0 | 500 | 500 | 0 |
| Esmond Lake (Ballarat) | 0 | 250 | 250 | 0 |
| Ess Lagoon (Casterton) | 0 | 150* | 500 | 0 |
| Felltimber Creek Wetlands (Wodonga) | 0 | 600 | 600 | 0 |
| Ferntree Gully Quarry | 0 | 450 | 450 | 0 |
| Foletti Caravan Park Lake (Donald) | 0 | 550 | 350 | 0 |
| Forest Lake (Kangaroo Flat) | 0 | 200 | 200 | 0 |
| Garfield Lake (Garfield) | 0 | 250 | 250 | 0 |
| Glenlyon Dam (Glenlyon, Victoria) | 0 | 350 | 200 | 0 |
| Glenrowan Recreational Reserve Lake | 0 | 600 | 600 | 0 |
| Goldfields Reservoir (St Arnaud) | 0 | 200*** | 0 | 0 |
| Golf Course Dam (Longwood) | 0 | 150* | 300 | 0 |
| Great Western Racing Recreation Reserve Lake (Great Western) | 0 | 0 | 200 | 0 |
| Guthridge Lake (Sale) | 0 | 0** | 250 | 0 |
| Haddon Reservoir (Haddon) | 0 | 200 | 200 | 0 |
| Hanging Rock Lake (Woodend) | 0 | 350 | 350 | 0 |
| Heyfield Racecourse Lake (Heyfield) | 0 | 0** | 300 | 0 |
| Hyland Lake (Churchill) | 0 | 0** | 800 | 800 |
| Jack Emmett Lagoon (Rupanyup) | 0 | 0 | 350 | 0 |
| Jubilee Lake (Daylesford) | 0 | 200*** | 200 | 0 |
| Jubilee Lake (Skipton) | 0 | 200 | 200 | 0 |
| Karkarook Lake (Moorabbin) | 0 | 2000 | 2000 | 2000 |
| Kennington Reservoir (Strathdale) | 0 | 500 | 500 | 0 |
| Les Stone Park Lake (Wodonga) | 0 | 300 | 300 | 0 |
| Lethbridge Lake (Lethbridge) | 0 | 300 | 300 | 0 |
| Lilliput Lane Reserve (Pakenham) | 0 | 100 | 100 | 0 |
| Lillydale Lake (Lilydale) | 0 | 1000 | 1000 | 0 |
| Lismore Golf Club Dam | 0 | 200 | 200 | 0 |
| Marma Lake (Murtoa) | 0 | 350 | 350 | 0 |
| Marysville Lake (Marysville) | 450 | 450 | 450 | 0 |
| Merriwa Park Lake (Wangaratta) | 0 | 0* | 200 | 0 |
| Minyip Wetlands (Minyip) | 0 | 0 | 200 | 0 |
| Mooroopna Recreation Reserve Lake (Mooroopna) | 0 | 150 | 150 | 0 |
| Morwell/Kernot Lake (Morwell) | 0**** | 0**** | 0**** | 0**** |
| Mount Beauty Pondage | 200 | 200 | 0 | 0 |
| Navan Park Lake (Melton) | 0 | 600 | 600 | |
| Neangar Lake (Eaglehawk) | 0 | 300 | 300 | 0 |
| Nhill Lake (Nhill) | 0 | 0 | 200 | 0 |
| Numurkah Lake | 0 | 0* | 0 | 0 |
| Nursery Reservoir (Macedon) | 0 | 500 | 0 | 0 |
| Ouyen Lake (Ouyen) | 0 | 500 | 0 | 0 |
| Old Hamilton Reservoir (Hamilton) | 0 | 550 | 200 | 0 |
| Pakenham Lake (Pakenham) | 0 | 750 | 750 | 0 |
| Pertobe Lake (Warrnambool) | 0 | 450 | 450 | 0 |
| Police Paddock Dams (Horsham) | 0 | 450 | 450 | 0 |
| Quarry Street Reserve Lake (Trentham) | 0 | 200 | 0 | 0 |
| Rokewood Reservoir | 0 | 200 | 200 | 0 |
| Rowville Lakes | 0 | 550 (400 into Sutton Lake, 150 into Hill Lake) | 550 (400 into Sutton Lake, 150 into Hill Lake) | 0 |
| Roxburgh Park Lakes (McIvor Lake, Roxburgh Park) | 0 | 475 | 400 | 0 |
| Saint Augustine's Water Hole (Geelong) | 0 | 750 | 750 | 0 |
| Sambell Lake (Beechworth) | 0 | 1050 | 450 | 0 |
| Simpson Recreation Reserve Lakes (Simpson) | 0 | 150* | 300 | 0 |
| Spavin Lake (Sunbury) | 0 | 600 | 600 | 0 |
| Stanley Ditch Dam (Stanley) | 0 | 500 | 500 | 0 |
| St George's Dam (Stawell) | 0 | 100 | 100 | 0 |
| Sumsion Gardens Lake (Wodonga) | 0 | 400 | 400 | 0 |
| Tchum Lake (Birchip) | 0 | 1000 | 1000 | 0 |
| Tea Tree Lake (Mortlake) | 0 | 300 | 300 | 0 |
| The Gong (Buninyong) | 0 | 200 | 200 | 0 |
| Tom Thumb Lake (Eaglehawk) | 0 | 200 | 0 | 0 |
| Tronoh Dredge Hole (Harrietville) | 0 | 400*** | 400 | 0 |
| Upper Sandy Creek Dam (Sandy Creek) | 0 | 750 | 750 | 0 |
| Victoria Lake (Shepparton) | 0 | 750 | 750 | 0 |
| Victoria Lakes (Ballarat) | 0 | 500 | 500 | 0 |
| Walter J Smith Reserve (Riddells Creek) | 0 | 200 | 200 | 0 |
| Yarrambat Lake (Yarrambat) | 0 | 1000 | 1000 | 600 |
*No stocking/less trout stocked due to poor water quality/low water levels.
**Stocking postponed due to Gippsland floods, waiting until conditions are suitable.
***Will be stocked in the first week of the June/July school holidays.
**** Morwell Lake cannot be stocked due to water contamination. Contact the EPA for more information